Down With The Mud

I have always been somewhat of a nature nut, an au natural, get dirty, have fun sort of girl. As a young woman I once visited a small town where the roads were all dirt and had this love affair with my memory of growing up in a small town with dirt roads. I remembered the mud, and the huge puddles. I remembered getting in trouble for falling in them or otherwise getting pushed in them. I also remember the conversations my parents had later on – for some reason they did not miss those muddy roads. How could this be?

So now I have been a mother for a solid decade plus. We have been pretty free and allowing for our kids to get dirty. One of the ladies on our street calls my boys the “Huck Finn boys” for in her words they are always outside and they never have shoes on. I have let them build dams, make mud cakes and overall it has been a dirty ride.

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As per the above photos – one year we had a gigantic hole dug in our front yard as per a water line break. That Spring was mud madness and it was the beginning of my love affair gone sour. We actually had wooden ramps to walk on to get in and out of the front door. I had to mop several times per day.

We have since moved into a home with a yard that “used” to have a beauty perennial garden. The trouble – it is not a modern-day beauty but rather an old-fashioned, maintained by a senior citizen perennial garden that essentially is 20ft x 30ft of dirt with now straggled and stressed bushes/perennials scattered throughout. Some have died off and some are sparse as per the shade created by the now mature trees. Get it? It is dirt with perennials, and shrubs but mostly just dirt. This scenario equals mud in the winter thaw, spring rain, and summer rain. Basically any precipitation equals mud, mud, and more mud. My dreams have come true but it is more like a nightmare.

Need I say things have tightened up. The kids are starting to wear shoes out – not for the safety of their feet but for the safety of their little minds as we prevent momma from getting freaked out for having to mop again. If they happen to go out and forget shoes they have to put socks on before they come in. When I am ambitious and focused enough we have a water bucket at the front and back door and a towel to dry. Its crazy and the mud gets my blood boiling. Have I gotten old? Or has mopping gotten old?

I had a professional house cleaner in on Monday. Today is now Thursday. It has been dry and we have been out a fair bit. I was marveling at how I had not mopped in two days and then I noticed the rain falling. Soon after I let the dog in and quickly tied her to the back door. Just a week ago we fenced in the dirt area but still the dog prints are clear and crisp from the back door entrance and 3ft over. Mud is the result of any person, or animal in our yard in the Spring.

What has been your experience with dirt and mud? Do you tolerate it? Surely you understand the benefits of playing in it but do you let them? Perhaps like me you’ve moved through different phases of allowing it. They say we miss these phases. I believe it but sometimes it’s a stretch.

“Ackk” – as I am writing this my son asked me to stop his timer for his turn at Wii. He needs to go outside as the rain has turned in to a down pour. In a grumpy, irritated, voice I yelp, “Put your shoes on!!!!!”

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2 Responses to “Down With The Mud”

Yep – mud figured in our home school days for ages and ages. I longed for mine to grow out of it. And hated the mucky state we had to regularly deal with. But to see the tranquillity come over her face was worth it. Then I read that Carl Jung the great philosopher also liked making mud pies because it enabled him to think. Made me feel a lot better! Eventually she stopped moulding with mud and went onto make beautiful pots with clay. She’s eighteen now and I’m happy to say has grown out of it, if that’s any comfort. 🙂
Nice to ‘meet’ you and thanks for dropping by my blog. All best wishes.

It is good to know they grow out of it. As we speak I have a bucket at each of the doors for dipping in and cleaning off feet before they come into the house. And a perfect mud handprint on the wall!!
Enjoy your day and thank you for popping by my blog as well.